- Title: [SW News] (PANA) Forum Adopts Measures To Stem
Brain Drain In Africa
- From:[]
- Date :[February 25, 2000]
Forum
Adopts Measures To Stem Brain Drain In Africa
February 25, 2000 - Ghion Hagos - PANA Correspondent
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (PANA) - The international conference on Brain Drain
in Africa ended Thursday night with a series of recommendations designed to
minimise the flight of human capital from the continent through concerted
action of governments, academic institutions and civil society in capacity
building.
These include the development of a comprehensive approach "for effectively
utilising human resources in Africa," the development of "concrete project
activities" geared to strengthening human resources capacity building and
the return of qualified Africans to the continent to assist in its
development endeavours.
The regional Conference on Brain Drain and Capacity Building in Africa from
22-24 February was attended by over 130 Participants. These included four
education ministers, education policy-makers from 29 African countries,
including 11 universities and 12 other institutions of higher learning. Many
NGOs and development agencies as well as experts from all the sub-regions of
Africa, UN agencies and representatives of donor countries also attended.
It was organised by the UN Economic Commission for Africa in collaboration
with the Geneva-based International Organisation for Migration and Canada's
International Development Research Centre - a state agency dedicated to
human resources development in Third World countries. It has four
sub-regional centres in Africa.
Conference participants pointed out at the end of their deliberations that
capacity building in public and private sectors and community groups was
critical for managing development in both the newly-industrialised countries
of east Asia and elsewhere.
"In Africa, a lack of consensus on the critical elements needed to build and
strengthen indigenous capacities, as well as maintain and effectively
utilise them, have been the problem with capacity building efforts and the
subsequent migration of human capital in the form of brain drain," it was
noted.
The conference further noted that investment in human resources development
and institution building were critical in speeding up economic growth and
poverty reduction.
It recommended such concrete actions for setting up a data base on African
migration, enhancing and expanding the Return of Qualified African National
Programme to bring talent from abroad and generating and retaining knowledge
for the centres of excellence in the continent.
The conference urged the OAU "to be more active in sensitising and
generating awareness on the issues of the brain drain, including programming
it in the agenda of its summit" in July this year in Lome, Togo.
Speaking to reporters before the closing session, ECA Deputy Executive
Secretary, Lalla Ben Barka, said unless political action is taken at the
highest level, "the continent will be empty of professionals in 25 years."
Sibry J.M. Tapsoba, the IDRC regional director for West and Central Africa,
told the press that "Africa cannot develop when its best minds go
elsewhere."
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